Possible Trouble Ahead for NASA Funding Bill

A Senate Subcommitee yesterday approved an $18 billion funding bill for NASA and comes just as NASA’s Wallops Flight Facility is getting ready to launch the Antares rocket that will help resupply the International Space Station.

The Senate bill provides money for projects ranging from a manned deep-space mission to Mars and the deployment of the James Webb Space Telescope to a joint venture with private companies to transport U.S. astronauts to the space station in the next few years.

But the price tag is considerably more than the $16.6 billion measure that came out of a House panel this week.

House Republicans say they want the budget to reflect the budget cuts of the sequestration.

Senator Barbara Mikulski is chair of the Appropriations Committee.

And, the Maryland Democrat worries that the whole budget could be in trouble unless Republicans in the House relent.